Library's next exhibit to be kid-oriented ‘Arthur’s World’

Published 6:00 pm, Monday, February 24, 2014

Interior view of the Midland County Public Library Centennial Branch, photographed Jan. 28, 2014. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Interior view of the Midland County Public Library Centennial Branch, photographed Jan. 28, 2014. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

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The Midland County Public Library Centennial branch won the American Library Association and International Interior Design Association's 2014 Library Interior Design Award for public libraries more than 30,000 square feet. less

The Midland County Public Library Centennial branch won the American Library Association and International Interior Design Association's 2014 Library Interior Design Award for public libraries more than 30,000 ... more

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

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June 14 | Koya Con Anime Convention. Submissions are being taken through June 7 for this art show at the Centennial branch. The rules can be found on the branch’s Facebook page but the convention itself will feature the winning art entry and all the displayed art from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.co.midland.tx.us. less

June 14 | Koya Con Anime Convention. Submissions are being taken through June 7 for this art show at the Centennial branch. The rules can be found on the branch’s Facebook page but the convention itself will ... more

Photo: James Durbin

Library's next exhibit to be kid-oriented ‘Arthur’s World’

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Midland County Public Library’s next exhibit for its Centennial branch will feature characters and settings from the “Arthur” children’s TV show and book series.

“Arthur’s World,” an exhibit from the Boston Children’s Museum, is set to open March 31.

The exhibit lets children play with the humanized aardvark and his other anthropomorphic friends in various story settings such as the Read Family kitchen and Mr. Ratburn’s classroom. The exhibit features educational qualities such as reading, creative problem-solving and connecting with family.

Commissioners’ Court on Monday approved the contract with the Boston Children’s Museum that will put the exhibit in the library for three months. It will be the first time that this exhibit would be placed inside a library, said John Trischitti, county library director.

To cover the roughly $70,000 cost for the exhibit, the county paid $15,000 while the library foundation covered the rest.

“Clearly, the county has some skin in the game because it’s in their facility,” Trischitti said. “But the foundation has been trying to bring in these nice exhibits that aren’t in the budget completely. It’s a nice, collaborative relationship.”

“Arthur’s World” will be comparative in size to the “Bob Hope: An American Treasure,” which was on display at Centennial branch in May. Instead of being entirely housed in the back of the library, the exhibit will be placed throughout the entire library, Trischitti said.

The exhibit features six interactive settings from the “Arthur” story world that are meant to promote literacy, according to a handout by the Boston Children’s Museum. One of the exhibits, Arthur’s World TV, uses a chroma key so that children can appear on TV alongside characters. In Mr. Ratburn’s Classroom, children can enter a spelling bee, explore life under a microscope or explore student cubbies.

The “Arthur’s World” exhibit will be open during the library’s annual summer reading program, a campaign that rewards children for reading books while school is out of session.

Also at Monday’s meeting, commissioners approved two new members in its County Energy Transportation Reinvestment Zone: Dennis Lithgow of Pioneer Natural Resources and Steve Goree of Agri-Empresa.

Precinct 2 Commissioner and Robin Donnelly said the new members will fulfill two of the three industry representatives required for the five- person group. The other three members are Rick Lopez, Jose Ortiz and David Thibodeaux.

The group is pursuing $5.5 million from the Texas Department of Transportation for road construction projects. That amount in part of $225 million that state legislators allocated for energy-impacted areas.

The CETRZ will hold a public meeting on March 3 to discuss the proposed projects that it will submit to TxDOT by March 6.